THE BIRTH OF SIN
Revised – 08.20.06
(Edit in text from “Elijah”, Chas. Swindoll, pages 127 – 131)
Perhaps you came this morning expecting to hear some “Good News”…
How do you define the term “Good News”?
If I were to tell you that you are walking too close to a hanging cliff that loose boulders that were about to fall on you ….would you consider that information “Good News”?
All too often our definition for Good News has to do with interesting new Bible stories, or feel good inspirationals.
But we may find ourselves one day in the Valley of Despair – Valley of Dry Bones, as a result of sin (birthed within us).
We would want someone to bring to us God’s “Good News”. This “Good News” would tell us of a way out of the misery and despair and hopelessness of sin. This morning I want to do that by telling you how sin is often birthed in us.
Today, I want to take a close look at what causes us to sin.
Text: James 1:13 thru 15
Our misunderstanding of sin is we see it as something that we want to do, but God keeps telling us, “NO!”
We may have a long list of different sins that were (at one time) things we liked to do. But since God has control over the lightning and thunder, fire and brimstone, …
we aren’t ever going to do those things anymore.
It’s the fear factor that keeps us in line and out of trouble. There are things we want to do, and we don’t know why, but God won’t just let us do them.
Our thinking maybe that God rules us with a big ugly stick. That’s a very immature understanding of what sin is, and that thinking won’t motivate us to keep from sinning. Very long, anyway…
God wants us –
• To know that He wants to rule us with His righteousness.
• To have a passion against sin and the results of sin.
The Bible gives us insight on sin. It is not just a matter of crossing the line and making God angry with us.
According to the Bible, sin in our lives means that we are living a life that is less than what God has created us to be.
We are gloriously made in His image. God expects great things to come from our lives, but we fall short.
Sin comes from the Greek word, “hamartia” and is actually an archery term, meaning to fall short of the target.
It isn’t a matter of missing the target’s bulls eye by a little, but this is how we look at ourselves. That is, we are decent folks and we don’t expect to ever get it all right.
We feel that we only miss it with the Lord by a little bit.
We often compare ourselves with people (we know) who are much worse than we are.
Listen – Sin means that the arrow has fallen short, a lot.
God designed us to always hit the bulls-eye of the target, but sin causes us to miss the target and robs our strength.
So then – why is all of this so important?
Understanding this will help –
• You to want to live your life in His perfect design and in His power and freedom.
• You so you won’t see God as a demanding and unforgiving God.
Eph 4:26-28
do not sin…nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer,
Sin actually takes something from us.
The devil is robbing us of our strength and our freedom whenever we sin.
God doesn’t want you to sin so that you can live a victorious life in Christ.
Look again at verse 14 of our text.
The NIV – “dragged away”
From what or where?
We are drawn away from fulfilling the progressive plan that God has designed and destined for us to live.
The Bible describes the fallen nature of mankind.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries,
If you’ve got flesh on your bones, you have at the very least a seed of a desire to do any one of these sinful things.
We live our lives disciplining ourselves to live without doing these things. We study and pray and avoid contact with any of this. But the fact is until you take your last breath, you will be tempted by sin.
We are foolish to be surprised when there is sin all around us. We cannot afford to be naïve with the threat of sin.
Let’s get real and admit there is the threat of sin. We have to recognize our weakness while praising God for His strength. Without Christ we are helpless against sin.
Verse 14 says it well -
but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
The devil/demonic forces will try to bait you, entice you, or lure (Greek) you and drag you away into sin.
Each of us were born with evil desires, but it is the devil who will try to bait us into sin at just the right moment.
That is, our weakest moments.
What comes next is verse 15.
Our desire will conceive with the demonic forces (sometimes in the form of a false opportunity) and gives BIRTH TO SIN.
What comes next?
• The mature Christian – will immediately recognize the sin, flee from that sin, repent, and plead for forgiveness.
• The immature Christian – will foolishly allow the sin to remain with them. They are either embarrassed, prideful, or complacent to what has happened.
Those who are foolish with sin will allow the sin to remain will become desensitized (numb and/or indifferent) to the sin.
That sin will remain there as long as it can hide in a darkened corner of our heart. If we harbor that sin and refuse Christ the opportunity to cleanse us, sin will flourish.
Psalm 36:1-2
1 Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
They have no fear of God at all.
2 In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.
No longer are we open to the conviction to the Holy Spirit; we are searing our conscience from any remorse or repentance.
Read I Timothy 4:1 & 2
The BIRTH OF SIN (in our hearts) immediately goes to work at searing our conscience for the purpose making us insensitive to more sins.
You have heard it said:
“One sin leads to another…”
Verse 15 (of our text) says that sin matures itself. If denied sin will eventually become “full grown”.
Summary of progression of sin:
1. Uncontrolled desires and lust
2. Demonic forces that bring something to bait you, or lure you away.
3. The opportunity for the sin to take place.
4. The Birth of the Sin takes place.
5. The sin is left to it’s own to fester and grow/mature
6. Your heart and soul is desenitized
7. Finally – death
Listen – God will always be there to forgive you of any sin…big or small.
But the question is this –
Will you want God to forgive you???
Transition and Close:
What do we do?
1. We must live examined lives before God. Wash daily in the Word.
Ephesians 5:26
that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
2. Don’t just be sorry.
II Corinthians 7:10
For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
3. Help someone else (beside yourself).
Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
